Hayley Verbunt

Born and raised in Melbourne, Hayley Verbunt began rowing during her high school days. Due to the limited number of coxswains in the school, Hayley offered to fulfill the position.

After graduating, Hayley went on to make her first state selection for Victoria in 2021 as a part of the youth women's eight team, whilst also winning the U21 Australian championships in a women's coxed four.

A year later, Hayley would be involved in the men's rowing, as a coxswain for Victoria's youth eight and for the U23 men's eight at the Australian Rowing Championships.

It was also in 2022 where Hayley made her junior debut for Australia in a Trans-Tasman series against New Zealand and winning the trophy.

In 2023, Hayley took the next step as she made her senior international debut. Steering in the Rowing World Cup II in Italy, Hayley finished the tournament with a gold medal.

Shortly after in the Rowing World Cup III, Hayley took home a bronze medal.

In the 2023 World Rowing Championships, Hayley yet again played a crucial role as she was in the women's eight that won the repechage, eventually finishing third behind Romania and the USA.

In 2024, Hayley made her Olympic debut in Paris. As coxswain for the women's eight, she was a part of the crew that narrowly missed out on the bronze medal, finishing fourth.

Outside of competitions, Hayley coaches rowing and aims to inspire young athletes, helping them get through tough competition and experiences.